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Saturday, November 19, 2016

Short Film Spotlight: LOVE, DAD

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week, we take a look at the 3-minute dramatic short film...LOVE, DAD.

On the outskirts of Cairo, lies an entire city made out of, and built on top of discarded trash. It’s home to the Zabaleen - ‘people of the garbage’ - who collect, and recycle everything from old food, plastic wrappers, tires, to aluminum cans. Each family has a specific role, from the smallest child to the oldest grandparent, sorting the waste and continuing the family business. 25 years ago, A woman named Maggie Groban, known as ‘Mama Maggie,’ did something unexpected. She started a school right in the heart of Garbage City. A first for the Zabaleen. Suddenly, families had a hard choice to make. One that would surely cost them immediate profit loss by not putting the kids to work. However, a few brave parents took a risk - and put their kids in school.

The images of the father and daughter interacting made me nostalgic for my own grandfather. My grandfather raised me and died recently. This film brought out feelings I've been trying to suppress such as remorse and grief for his passing. Watching this film was very therapeutic for me.

This was a very well edited short film. The camera goes back and forth between the father working and the daughter in the classroom, which is an important element of the film because it shows the audience their precious bond and the sacrifices that the father makes for the well-being of his daughter.

The film is only three minutes long, but the filmmaker, Brandon Bray, was able to capture so much heartfelt emotion with no words in such little time. It's amazing how much can be said with a touch or a glance. When I saw how the father looked at his daughter, no words were needed to say how much he loved her.

Seeing the little girl as a doctor was, in my opinion, one of the best images of the entire film. I also enjoyed the images of the letters they wrote each other. The letters showed how their bond had deepened over the years. The image of the letter also represent something important to me -- keeping in touch with loved ones. As we get older and busier, we almost forget how important that is.

I relate to this film on a very personal level due to the loss of my beloved grandfather, and highly recommend checking it out.

Lisa's Score: 9/10

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